RotoWire News: Craig, who hasn't played since May 19 due to right knee inflammation, will begin a rehabilitation assignment with short-season Lowell on Friday, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com reports. (7/28/2016)

Profile: The Cardinals used Craig at five different defensive positions last year but on Draft Day he will only qualify in the OF. He is going to be hard-pressed to find much playing time in the outfield this year and his main value will likely come at 3B, especially if injuries knock out David Freese again. Craig saw significant time at 3B in the minors but was moved off the position because of defensive concerns. But Craig can hit. While he batted just .246 last year in the majors, Craig has a lifetime .321 AVG in 871 PA in Triple-A, along with 40 HR. Craig has to battle Nick Punto for playing time in the infield, but Punto’s ability to play in the middle of the diamond may help Craig. He is not draft-worthy at the beginning of the season, but Craig has a shot to end up on fantasy rosters during the season given Freese’s injury history. (Brian Joura)

The Quick Opinion: Craig qualifies as an OF but if he is to have fantasy value this year it will be at 3B. He struggled to hit in the majors last year but has a nice track record of hitting at Triple-A.

Profile: Allen Craig looked like a guy who was set to be good, and potentially more than that, in 2012. With Albert Pujols gone and Lance Berkman moving to first, Craig was slated to start in right field, and a .280/.340/.480 line was a reasonable, perhaps even conservative, expectation. However, Craig got hurt and will miss at least the first month of the season. To make matters worse (for Craig, at least), the Cardinals have signed Carlos Beltran to play right field. Craig is still worth drafting in most leagues, just do not overspend. He will get some playing time with Beltran and Matt Holliday both having recent injury issues. He might also get some time at first base if Berkman goes down. But Craig can't play center field, and neither can Beltran, so when all of those other (well-paid) guys are healthy, there really isn't a place for Craig to play. Which is a shame, because when he is healthy, he really hits quite well. (Matt Klaasen)

The Quick Opinion: Craig is probably a better hitter than his overrated teammte David Freese, but injury and playing time issues make him more of a "draft and stash" guy at this point.

Profile: There’s a lot to like about Allen Craig and his approach at the plate. It lends itself to projected consistency for any fantasy owner. His .374 wOBA ranked fourth amongst first basemen with at least 400 plate appearances last year, and for fantasy purposes, hit over 20 home runs with a batting average above .300. His 28.6% O-Swing% shows he chases bad pitches less often than the average hitter, while his 6.9% swinging-strike rate and 43.0% swing rate (both well below average) illustrate his patience. His .215 ISO doesn’t put him in the upper echelon of sluggers in terms of raw power and he doesn’t project to hit 40 home runs, but he’s a solid second-tier first baseman who should help in each non-stolen-base category and can also hold his own as a second-tier outfielder while he has eligibility. (JP Breen)

The Quick Opinion: Craig is a top-ten first baseman with positional flexibility who can flat-out hit the baseball. He provides power, average, and should see his RBI total improve with 600 plate appearances in an above-average Cardinals lineup.

Profile: After a strong 2012 performance that showed off Craig's power and ability to hit for a high batting average, his draft cost understandably jumped. He ended up disappointing his owners. Though he continued to hit for average and knock in runs as easily as he breathes in oxygen, his power disappeared. One of the reasons was that his fly ball rate tumbled below 30%, a level typically reserved for speedy slap hitters with limited power. Second, the average distance of his home runs and fly balls fell to a league average mark, after sitting comfortably above that level the previous two seasons. Since we cannot possibly expect him to sustain the level of success he has enjoyed with runners on base that has boosted his RBI total, he's going to have to get his power back on track to satisfy his fantasy owners. I'd bet on at least a partial rebound, even if he does turn 30 this year. (Mike Podhorzer)

The Quick Opinion: Craig performed very similarly to his 2012 breakout, but was missing one ingredient -- power. Both his batted ball distance and fly ball rate fell, but he's shown better in the past which provides hope for a rebound.

Profile: Craig's Lisfranc injury to his left foot presents a greater risk to his viability than most, due to his reliance on it in his swing. Lisfranc injuries can be career-threatening with or without the need for surgical intervention. He is very much a front foot-heavy hitter, and if he cannot be close to 100% healthy in the area he has no base to create power from. He is too far into his career to expect significant swing changes to be successful, so his value really is tied to the health of his left leg. Not a defensive asset either, we should see fairly quickly what kind of hitter he's going to be based on his health. Without knowing his medical info, projections are a waste of time. The most likely scenario is he doesn't hit for enough power to justify a starting job, maybe carving out a platoon role hitting lefties or off the bench. (Dan Farnsworth)

The Quick Opinion: Craig is more of a lottery ticket than some would like to admit, with his statistical outcome tied to his health. Maybe he gets back to 100% and hits like the old Allen Craig, but you cannot count on it.

Profile: Craig's last good season came in 2013. Injuries and generally lousy play have ruined his last two campaigns. He's well below replacement in just under 600 plate appearances over that time frame. Without an obvious defensive home, it's easy to dismiss him as yet another player who used to be good. His numbers in Triple-A leave some room for hope. Craig's early career success came on the back of high batting averages on balls in play. More recently, he's been well below average. He used to be a high line drive hitter who made hard contact. His recent stints in the majors have come with softer balls in play. Overall, I would not count on Craig rediscovering his mojo as a 31-year-old. (Brad Johnson)

The Quick Opinion: Craig was mystifyingly good with the Cardinals from 2011 through 2013. The bat vanished in 2014 and has shown no signs of returning. As a once-good player, he'll get a few more chances on minor league contracts.